As a child, Rene Shades already really enjoyed his parents record collection, where he discovered artists like Kenny Rogers or Johnny Cash – and, therefore, his love of country music. Nowadays, Danish-born Shades is primarily known as the bass player of the Pretty Maids, but he’s also a very busy guy as a guitarist, songwriter, singer and producer. In the meantime, his preferences have moved to what he calls “good music” without restricting himself to any particular genre. In 2019, he publishes his solo debut entitled Teenage Heart Attacks & Rock’n’Roll Heaven.
In the 1990s, self-taught Rene started his musical career with his first band Sateria, which was an established name on Copenhagen’s rock scene. At least until all everyone wanted to hear was grunge anyway. One day, Mike Tramp and his band Freak of Nature turned up in Rene’s rehearsal room, an event that marked the beginning of their friendship and longstanding collaboration.
At the end of the 1990s, Rene started to be successful with his band Pride in the US. This was followed by joint tours there and in Europe with Mike Tramp, whom he accompanied adeptly on the guitar. By that time, he’d met Ronnie Atkins and Ken Hammer and, when he was back in Europe, they invited him to play guitar with the Pretty Maids, which he did for a while. Later he returned as the hard rock band’s bass player and is still doing that today.
In 2014, Rene Shades and his friend Martie Peters recorded an album, which allowed the two of them to fulfil a childhood dream: members of bands belonging to Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart can be heard on Let The Record Spin.
In 2018, Rene found a partner for his current project in the shape of Magic Mile Music. Together with producers Hans-Martin Buff (Prince, Scorpions) and Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Blind Guardian), he recorded his first solo record Teenage Heart Attacks & Rock’n’Roll Heaven, a rock/pop album with unmistakable country influences.